Tribune's new chapter. A case for Katie Couric joining 'The View.'

The times are changing for the Los Angeles Times and parent Tribune Co.

The times are changing for the Los Angeles Times and parent Tribune Co. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times)

Joe Flint

After the coffee. Before getting my Comic-Con costume ready.

The Skinny: Some folks are griping about the humidity here this week but having recently spent some time back East let me tell you we still have it pretty good. Thursday's headlines include analysis of Tribune's decision to spin off its newspapers and a review of "Orange is the New Black."

Daily Dose: It is unlikely that the Who song "You Better, You Bet" would be on any hard-core fan's list of all-time favorites from the rock band. But "Newsroom" creator Aaron Sorkin used the lighthearted 1981 release about a challenging romantic relationship to close out the season premiere episode of his HBO drama "Newsroom." Sorkin said he was driving in his car when the song came on the radio and he decided it fit to describe the tension between characters Will McAvoy and MacKenzie McHale. Good thing "Squeeze Box" didn't come on or else he might have had to rewrite the last act.

Next chapter. The decision by Tribune Co., parent of the Los Angeles Times, to spin off its publishing unit will delay if not end an outright a sale of its newspapers. The move is meant to boost the value of Tribune's TV properties, which are seen as having a brighter future than the newspapers. As part of the deal, the real estate that houses the newspapers -- including the downtown headquarters of the Los Angeles Times -- will be part of the TV company. Analysis of the spinoff from the Los Angeles Times and Wall Street Journal.

Getting real. The end of the year is when Hollywood starts releasing films it feels have a good shot at getting some Oscar love. This year, of the films that are seen as having Oscar potential, nearly 20 are based on true stories, a figure that is higher than usual. Among the titles getting early buzz, according to Variety, are "Fruitvale Station" and "The Fifth Estate."

Katie Couric on "The View"? With Elisabeth Hasselbeck leaving "The View" and Barbara Walters exiting next spring, Vulture TV columnist Joe Adalian floats the idea that Katie Couric would be a good candidate to join the morning chat show. Couric currently host a daytime talker, but its ratings haven't set the world on fire and her deal will be up next year after the show's second season wraps. This is not such a crazy thought so if it happens remember to give Adalian props.

Welcome to Boston. Legal challenges have followed Aereo to Boston. The start-up, which streams broadcast TV signals over the Internet, recently announced it would take its service to Beantown and now it is being sued by Hearst-owned TV station WCVB-TV. Aereo is already under attack by CBS, Fox and other big broadcasters, which argue its service violates copyright law. More on the Boston battle from the Hollywood Reporter.

Garden State of mind. U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.) is worried that Fox-owned WWOR-TV, which is headquartered in Northern New Jersey, isn't doing enough to cover the Garden State. He has written the Federal Communications Commission asking it to review the station's license. The move comes after WWOR dropped its one newscast in favor of a magazine show called "Chasing New Jersey." Menendez is following in the footsteps of the late Sen. Frank Lautenberg, another New Jersey Democrat, who often argued that WWOR was not meeting its public interest obligations. More from the New York Times.